2024 has been another year of Russian aggression against Ukraine and OSCE principles: UK statement to the OSCE
Ambassador Holland sets out some of the examples of Russia's aggression against Ukraine and its OSCE commitments that we have witnessed so far in 2024.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We are nearing the end of another calendar year of Russian aggression against both Ukraine and the foundational principles of the OSCE. 2024 has seen no shortage of lowlights.
We have seen an intensification of attacks against critical energy infrastructure, particularly over the past few months. These attacks threaten the power supply to Ukraine’s nuclear power plants and further demonstrate Russia’s disregard for nuclear safety. The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine concluded that they potentially constituted a crime against humanity.
There have been countless strikes against civilian targets, with the UN reporting at least 1770 civilian casualties between the start of the year and 31 October. On Tuesday, a Russian missile attack killed at least ten people and injured another 22 – including a child – in the city of Zaporizhzhia. This follows a missile strike, in May, on a busy hardware store in Kharkiv and the appalling attack on the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in July.
In April, we received a Moscow Mechanism expert report which confirmed that thousands of Ukrainian civilians had been arbitrarily detained by Russia since 2014. Among those illegally detained are our Special Monitoring Mission colleagues and representatives of local government, including at least three mayors of Ukrainian municipalities. We note with concern recent reports that Yevhen Matvieiev, mayor of Dniprorudnyy, has died in Russian captivity.
At meetings of this Council in 2024, 40 States have documented Russia’s malign activities and interference in the OSCE region. These reckless actions aim to undermine support for Ukraine. They will not work – and have only succeeded in strengthening our resolve.
We have seen a dangerous expansion of Russia’s cooperation with Iran and DPRK, including the provision of ballistic missiles, and the deployment of thousands of North Korean troops on European soil. This is a violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and carries serious implications for the security of Europe and the Indo-Pacific region.
Madam Chair, this is not an exhaustive list. It doesn’t cover the increasing execution of prisoners of war, the grim milestone of 1000 days since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, reports on the use of chemical weapons on the battlefield, strikes against civilian ships carrying grain for the world’s most vulnerable, and independent bodies finding Russia’s use of torture is “widespread and systematic”. I could continue.
While it is important that we record Russia’s many violations of its OSCE obligations, we should not lose sight of the moments for optimism. Almost 100 countries and institutions coming together for the Summit on Peace. Further progress on Ukraine’s journey towards Euro-Atlantic integration. Agreements reached on the exchange of POWs. And, over 3000 delegates attending the 2024 Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin and securing over $16bn in new support for Ukraine. But most important of all, Ukraine and Ukrainians have remained resilient and strong in defence of their homeland and our shared values. We confirm once again our strong support of them and urge the Russian state to immediately end its war of aggression and respect its OSCE commitments. Thank you.